By now you’ve probably seen the headlines: a Cyclospora outbreak tied to shredded lettuce at Taco Bell locations in five states — Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. As of this week, the CDC has confirmed more than 1,600 cases connected to Taco Bell exposure and close to 100 hospitalizations, with reported illnesses stretching back to mid-May.
What interests me isn’t the lettuce. It’s the apology.
Taco Bell’s operational response was actually solid, and it deserves credit. Within days, they voluntarily pulled lettuce, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo, and guacamole from affected locations, and said they were dropping the supplier — reportedly Taylor Farms — indefinitely, nationwide. That’s fast. That’s decisive. If you only looked at the actions, you’d say: crisis management, well executed.
